Friends in High Places
by King Hawke
Summary: Kyuubi is sealed inside of Naruto. Someone new decides to step in.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I Do own the Guardian.

_This kind of talk_ Kyuubi's talking

The deep red fur of the gigantic fox ripples indignantly. His furious eyes glare down into the impassive blue eyes of the small figure blocking his path. "Kyuubi, this is a bad idea," the man states, his arms crossed over his chest.

The giant fox roars, "_Get out of my way, Guardian! I will not allow this to go unpunished_!" His roar blows the man's blue cloak back but his hood remains in place, shadowing his face.

"You'll regret it if you go, Kyuubi," the man says calmly, not intimidated at all by the raging demon fox. "But I won't stop you if you refuse to listen to reason."

A dark chuckle erupts from the massive beast. "_Just watch as I decimate that puny village, Guardian. You'll see nothing like this ever again_."

The man raises an eyebrow and says with just a hint of concern in his voice, "Yes, I'm quite sure neither of us shall see anything like it again in our lives." The man slowly walks out of the demon's way and holds his arm out to gesture him forward. "Do as you will, but you're making a mistake."

The red fox demon rumbles, "_The only mistake made was made by those arrogant mortals_."

The man mutters darkly, "Yes, pride comes before the fall; a lesson I wish you all would learn."

The nine-tailed demon stomps past him, tails smashing trees and crumbling mountains in passing. The man stares after the demon for a few minutes before shrugging, "Well, might as well see what happens!" He trots after the huge fox, following the trail of destruction.

**A Few Days Later:**

"Send out the next wave!" a ninja orders with deep scars covering his face. Miles away the legendary Kyuubi the Nine Tailed Fox snarls, swatting at the annoying ninja attacking him with hopes of slowing him down.

The fox mutters, though it sounds like growling to the humans, "_Foolish gnats, hardly worth my time_." Hundreds of small elemental blasts pelt his fur from the surrounding ninja. His tail smashes a battalion, a second tail sending trees flying several miles towards the village, barely missing the wall.

"Belay that order, Ibiki," the Hokage says with his blonde spiky hair visible without his ceremonial hat on. "There is no use in sacrificing more lives to that beast." He carries a small baby in his arms. The blonde baby is a mirror image of the Hokage. The Hokage jumps from the wall and breaks into a sprint through the trees.

The blue-clad man chews on an apple as he watches from a distance as the Kyuubi tears apart the Leaf Ninja effortlessly. "You're wasting time, Kyuubi, stop playing around before they come up with a way to beat you," he mutters to himself between bites. "Humans are too resourceful to be underestimated."

A large cloud of smoke erupts a mile from the Kyuubi's location leaving a giant toad as it dissipates. The Hokage stands on the toad's head with the baby in one arm. "The Kyuubi, eh, Minato? Looks like you bit off a little more than you can chew this time," Gamabunta comments, smoking his pipe.

Minato looks down at the toad solemnly, "We don't know why it's attacking, but this will be our last battle together." The toad notices the baby and sighs.

"You're going to do That," he grumbles. "That not a thing that should be done to your own son."

"He'll be seen as the hero of the village," says Minato confidently, dabbing a paintbrush against the baby's stomach writing a small seal. The baby gurgles happily.

The toad croaks, "You have too much faith in that village of yours." He pulls out a building sized flask of sake and gulps it down. Wiping his lips, the toad puts the flask away. "But, let's get this over with."

"Thanks, Gamabunta. I just need you to keep it busy for a little longer. I'm almost ready," he explains.

An older white-haired man leaps from a tree onto the toad boss's back. "Jiraiya!" Gamabunta says harshly, "Talk your student out of this insane plan of his."

Jiraiya shakes his head slowly, "If there was another way, he would have thought of it. Hello, Minato."

"Take care of my son, Pervy Sage," Minato says as he stares at the nearing fox. The toad Sannin nods at the last request. "Tell Sarutobi that I'm sorry he has to come out of retirement," the young Hokage says, handing the baby to his old teacher.

Jiraiya takes the baby and notices the seal. "Does he have a name?"

Minato thinks about it for a few seconds than shouts over his shoulder, "Naruto! His name is Naruto. Make sure he's seen as a hero, okay?"

The Sannin jumps from Gamabunta's back and waves goodbye, "You got it, kid."

"Now, Gamabunta," Minato says seriously. He begins the long string of hand signs. The toad sighs as he draws his short katana. Without another word the colossal toad leaps at the fox. He twirls and jumps over the multiple tails, protecting the man on his back.

Kyuubi roars and lashes out at the toad, leaving a large scar over his eye. "Hurry up, Minato!" Gamabunta calls. He twirls his sword and stabs Kyuubi's paw before leaping into the air, sheathing his short blade. The toad makes a hand sign and hits his stomach, water missiles launching from his mouth at the fox. The approaching tails are slapped away by the water missiles. The fox demon lets out a low growl, jumping at the toad, meeting him in midair.

Minato continues the hand signs faster, his hands a blur. He uses chakra to stick to the toad's back as the two titans clash. Surrounding ninja shoot their tiny jutsu at the humungous beast, distracting him enough for Gamabunta to get in a few good strikes with his short sword. The angry fox drives Gamabunta back towards Konoha, the boss toad's blade barely blocking the multiple tail strikes. "Hold him, Gamabunta!" the Hokage yells as his flurry of hand signs comes to a close.

The boss summons plunges his sword into the Kyuubi's left shoulder and holds back his snapping teeth with his feet. "Hurry up before he gets toad legs for lunch!" Gamabunta grunts, struggling to keep the beast still.

Minato glares down into the Kyuubi's eyes and shouts, "Eight Divination Signs Seal Style!" The Kyuubi's eyes go wide as his body weakens. Gamabunta pushes him down onto his back, digging into his shoulder harder with the sword. The red chakra flows like a stream from the giant demon and flows into the seal on Naruto's stomach as Jiraiya holds him from a safe distance away. The Kyuubi lets out a final ground shaking roar and goes still, his body fading into nothingness as the last of his chakra is sucked into the glowing seal.

Minato glances over his shoulder weakly as the Shinigami slowly drags the Kyuubi's soul to the seal and pulling on Minato's in the process. He whispers, "Goodbye, son. Forgive me." His body collapses on Gamabunta's back, his soul devoured by the voracious god of death.

Hopping down from his perch in a tree, Guardian sighs loudly. "Stupid mistake. He should have known better," he says angrily. "Now I have to clean up his mess as usual. I don't know why I still help him."

The Kyuubi roars as he slams against the thick bars on his new prison. "_You won't keep me locked in here forever! I will break free_!" His eyes glow in the dark sewer as he lies down on the cold floor. "_It's only a matter of time. When it happens, I will be ready_." The Kitsune King curls into a ball, closes his eyes, and falls into a deep slumber.

Konoha ninja rush around the village with their wounded and supplies for repairs. Nobody notices when a blue-eyed stranger enters the village, covered in a dark blue cloak. The man watches the Hokage Tower's window to see Jiraiya handing the newborn baby over to the Third Hokage, shaking his head sadly.

"How the mighty have fallen," he whispers as he watches. Glancing around at the panicked village, the man says with a smile, "Well, someone has to keep an eye on the old furball. It might as well be me!" He disappears into an alley unnoticed.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Chapter 2:

The Hokage trudges from the council chamber angrily, holding young Naruto in his arms. "If it wouldn't start a civil war, I have half a mind to imprison those fools for disgracing Minato's name with their stupidity!" he growls to himself.

Cries of "demon" and "kill the monster!" can be heard from the council chamber mixed with the occasional "he's Minato's son! Leave him alone!"

"You allow them to disobey the blonde toad man's last order?" a deep voice mocks from the shadows. "Pathetic."

ANBU appear around the Hokage with their weapons drawn. "Who are you?" Sarutobi questions, holding Naruto closer to his chest protectively.

A blast of pure killer intent erupts from the man, freezing the ANBU in place. Even Sarutobi is fazed by the KI. "Nobody worth mentioning," the man smirks as he steps from the shows. Civilians and ninja alike feel the killer intent permeating the village when suddenly it vanishes as if it were never there. "But you may call me Blue. I like Blue. It is quite the color, wouldn't you agree?" he says conversationally, his blue hood still casting a shadow over his face. ANBU await the Hokage's order to take him into custody.

Kyuubi grins when he feels the killer intent and opens one eye. "_Well if it isn't my old pal, come to bail me out. I knew he'd show up,_" he growls.

"Give me the boy," the stranger says calmly.

The Hokage gestures with a small hand sign and the ANBU surround the man, only to fall unconscious around him. Sarutobi barely saw the man's movements as he rendered the entire ANBU squad unconscious. "Now, old man," the man continues with growing impatience. "I'll give him right back!"

He hesitates, but decides that there is little he can do if the man gets impatient and takes Naruto anyway. Sarutobi asks cautiously, "What do you want with him?"

"I just want to have a short chat, that's all," the man says with an amused smirk. The Hokage can barely see the smirk and hands Naruto over to him, stepping in close enough to stop him if he tries to leave with the infant. "Protective, are we? That's good," the man chuckles as he takes Naruto.

He lifts up the newborn's tiny shirt and places his hand over the seal. "_Guardian! I knew you'd come for me. Let me out of here so I can finish destroying this place!_" Kyuubi snarls, slamming against his cage bars again.

Guardian shakes his head slowly as he looks up at the Kyuubi through the bars. "Sorry, furball, but I won't. I warned you! But did you listen? Noooo, you never listen to anything I have to say. Now you get to pay the consequences."

"_Humans are petty. They will try to kill me through this boy! I've seen it in other villages when Shukaku, Nibi, and others got sealed. I will not be like them! They are going to kill this container and me along with it!_" Kyuubi roars. "_Let me out!_"

"No," Guardian says firmly, crossing his arms. "I won't allow them to kill you, but you will suffer the humiliation of being sealed inside this human's body. I'm leaving, but the seal is being adjusted as we speak so that you can see and hear out of the container's body. You merely cannot control him at all or influence his thoughts. It should be better than sitting around a dark sewer." He smirks and turns to walk away.

Kyuubi spits at the man, the saliva landing just short of him. "_You are failing your own job, Guardian._"

The man turns around with his blue eyes glowing dangerously. "You are alive. My job has nothing to do with you, Kyuubi the 'King of the Demons'! Now rest in peace!" The fox roars furiously, the cage shaking around him. New sounds assail the fox's ears as two small holes appear on the wall opposite the cage. The fox looks through the holes to see the Hokage and Guardian.

Guardian opens his eyes and hands Naruto back to his Hokage. "That was interesting, but I must be on my way. I will be around to keep an eye on him." He stares into the Hokage's eyes seriously. "I will be back. If this boy is harmed in any way, I will raze this village faster and with more casualties than the furball ever could."

"Who are you?" Sarutobi repeats gravely, a bit disturbed by the confidence in his voice as he made the threat.

Guardian chuckles, "I already told you. You can call me Blue. I suggest you tell the village gossips who the boy is related to. Now." He vanishes before the Hokage can say another word leaving nothing behind.

He looks down at Naruto and examines the seal carefully. "Well," Sarutobi mutters to himself. "There's no damage to it. I wonder what Mr. Blue meant by chatting…" his eyes widen. "With the Kyuubi!"

In Suna, Guardian appears at the gate of the Village hidden in the Sand. The guards order him to halt and show his papers. A moment later, they are laying facedown on the ground. He walks past them, leaving footprints that look almost like wolf paw prints, only larger.

The Kazekage looks up from his paperwork and sees a blue-eyed man staring down at him. "How did you get in here?" he demands loudly. "ANBU!"

"They won't be coming," Guardian smiles pleasantly. "Where is Shukaku the One Tailed Raccoon's container?"

The Kazekage lunges at the man, but a lightning fast fist smashes him into the floor. "I am a creature of limited patience, Mr. Kaze," the blue-clad man says calmly as he flexes his gloved hand.

The ninja leader begins hand signs but is launched through the wall before he can finish. Guardian steps through the hole and strolls over to where he is. He lifts the Kazekage up by the back of his shirt and drags him back to the office, tossing him into his chair. "Now, let's try this again. Where is Shukaku's container?"

The Kazekage says harshly, "I'm not letting you anywhere near that weapon! It's the village's!" He goes through a short string of hand signs and Guardian watches him in amusement. He patiently waits for the hand signs to finish and the Kazekage shouts, "Wind Style: Wind Blade!" A gust of wind cuts through the thin cloak but dispels into a gentle breeze through the office.

Guardian sighs and slowly pulls off his tattered cloak. "So that was a jutsu, eh? Not very powerful, are they?" he smiles, looking down at the terrified Kazekage. "What's the matter? Oh, I forgot to comb my hair today didn't I?" Guardian says when he notices the leader's horrified stare.

"What are you!?" the man shouts, his ninja training barely keeping him in his chair.

Guardian grins evilly, "Just a man passing through. But I think I can sense Shukaku, so I'm going to find him, and have a chat with him. You will keep your pathetic ninja away from me, or I will kill them." He picks the Kazekage up by the collar and pulls him very close to his face. "Do you understand me, little man?" he says pleasantly. The Kazekage nods quickly. "Good! I'm glad you are so reasonable." He tosses the Kazekage back into his chair.

He walks out the door and hears, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flame!" A strong gust of wind throws the fireball back at the Kazekage, who barely dodges it. "Behave yourself," Guardian calls over his shoulder. "I would hate to think that you were being inhospitable." He drops into the street and slowly strolls down the road, following Shukaku's chakra signature. Guardian picks up a cloak in passing from the street merchant and it instantly turns from desert brown to a deep blue. "Much better," he murmurs, sliding it on as he walks.

The merchant mutters, "It's a monster!"

Guardian smiles with amusement as he stops to look at the chubby salesman. "You humans say that about everything you don't understand or is different. If it is not like you, it is a monster. I would advise you change that bad habit of yours before one of the 'monsters' decides to shut you up." He continues on his way, the merchant gaping at him.

He enters a mansion, the guards dropping to the ground before they can say anything. He follows the chakra signature to a small bare room. A young girl and a dark haired little boy stand around a crib. Sand swirls around the crib, rocking it. Guardian approaches and looks down into the crib with a fond smile. "Well if it isn't the little trouble maker himself," he whispers. The boy and girl jump at the sound of his voice.

"How did you get in here?" the boy demands with some sort of war paint on his face, trying to sound intimidating.

Guardian sighs, "You must be that one ninja's son. You sound just like him. Seriously, I am beginning to think that you humans are a broken record! 'Who are you, what are you, monster,' it gets repetitive after awhile, wouldn't you agree?" He winks at the little girl who blushes slightly.

He chuckles and ruffles the children's hair. "Don't worry, you won't need to fear this kid anytime soon. If the leader fella says otherwise, shout 'Guardian', and I'll be here before he can finish the sentence." He slides a small blue feather and puts it in the girl's hair. "There you go," he smiles. The blue-clad man picks up the baby, the sand wrapping around his wrists and trying to crush them.

Guardian frowns, "Is that any way to treat an old friend, Shukaku?" The baby gurgles and laughs a little. He places his hand on the seal and opens his eyes in a cage almost identical to Kyuubi's, only with the prison bars cracked and having holes in them. The gigantic sand raccoon stares at the man curiously.

"_So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, buddy_?" Shukaku grins playfully. "_Surely you didn't come all this way just to talk to little ol' me_!"

"You sound bored, Shukaku. What do you plan to do with this prison of yours? Drive him crazy?" Guardian inquires with a smile.

Shukaku leans against the cage and grins wider, showing his large teeth. "_Only if I can_."

Guardian smiles and laughs humorlessly, "That's what I thought." His smile disappears instantly. "But I cannot allow that. If you do, he may one day try to kill Kyuubi's container. Another thing, I'm not your buddy."

"_That old fox got captured too_?" Shukaku says uneasily, not liking the frown on Guardian's face. "_Does that mean you're not here to jailbreak me_?"

The man smirks, "Wow, you are getting smarter, Shukaku. Must be the all the time cooped up in here with nothing for you to do but think. The seal holding you in is ridiculously shoddy work. I don't know how you are even being held in here with such a pathetic lock on this wreck of a cage. I'm going to fix that." Guardian looks up into the raccoon's frightened eyes dangerously. "And when you see the others that got locked up, tell them that Guardian says hi." Shukaku's screams and yells echo through the prison as he begs Guardian not to do it. His cries fall on deaf ears as Guardian disappears from Gaara's mindscape.

The demonic raccoon gives in to the temptation to cry when he sees the bars thicken and repair themselves. The seal holding Shukaku in changes to match Kyuubi's seal. Two identical holes to the ones in Kyuubi's cage appear as sounds fade from Shukaku's ears to be replaced with fewer, more distinct noises.

Guardian kneels down to the two children and gently puts the baby back into his crib, the sand clinging tightly to its skin protectively. He looks into each child's eyes. "The baby's sand will always be there to protect him," he explains in a soft tone. "But the sand won't go on killing sprees or try to attack anyone without the baby commanding it. It will protect only, unless the boy learns how to use it as an attack. Do you understand?" Temari and Kankuro nod slowly. Guardian smiles warmly. "Good. Now, tell your daddy that I say hello and that if he tries anything about that seal or to make your baby brother into a weapon, I will return for his head. Got all that?" he says in a deceptively pleasant voice. Temari frowns alittle at the message but nods anyways. Kankuro nods enthusiastically.

Guardian pulls out another feather from inside his cloak and slides it into Kankuro's hand. "Keep that, and when you become a ninja, put that with whatever is your favorite weapon. It brings very good luck."

After Kankuro announces his promise to do that, Guardian leaves the room silently. The two sand siblings rush to the door and look down the long hallways, but the stranger is already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own Guardian and anything he does, so there! But, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

The Raikage fills out the overflowing load of paperwork covering his desk slowly when he senses a familiar presence. He does not bother looking up at the newcomer. "She's in the cave," he says to the unasked question.

Guardian chuckles at his answer. "Shadow clones, or if you wish to destroy it, use lightning clones," the blue-clad man states helpfully. The Raikage does the hand sign for shadow clones and multiple copies of him appear. They instantly pick up paperwork and start filling it out at the same slow, steady pace.

"Spar later?" the Raikage inquires casually, not looking up from the papers he is filling out. The visitor starts to walk away.

Guardian pauses at the doorway and glances over his shoulder darkly. He growls, "A spar or death, depending on her." The Raikage nods, taking it in stride. His clones mirror his actions and reaction simultaneously.

Guards snap to attention as the blue-clothed man passes them. He nods to them as they stand stiffly. "At ease," he murmurs quietly. The guards glance at each other and fall back into a defensive stance around the doorways they are guarding, but remain very tense. They do not relax until he is out of their sight. His amused smirk is hidden by his hood.

He comes to a halt in the mouth of medium sized stone cave. The two guards at the entrance snap to attention, staring at him fearfully. He nods and takes a few steps into the cave silently. Smooth grooves and handholds litter the walls. A little girl with long blonde hair tries to climb the wall, but only climbs two or three grooves high before she gets too scared to go any higher. Her slanted eyes widen in fear. "Can you get down, Yugito?" Guardian asks with a raised eyebrow.

A grin slowly grows on her face when she recognizes the voice. She drops to the ground and rolls to her feet. "Unca Guardie!!" she squeals, rushing to him and pouncing. He catches her in his arms and lifts her into the air. She giggles and snuggles against him.

"Has my girl been behaving?" he asks with a smile, carrying her easily.

She nods enthusiastically, "Yeah huh! I'm a good girl!"

He musses her hair playfully. "Really? I heard you had a birthday while I was gone." She bounces in his arms as she nods happily. "How old are you now?" Yugito holds up three fingers. "Three! Wow! You're practically a grown up lady, aren't you?" She giggles and nods again happily. "Has Kitty been behaving too?"

"Yeps! Kitty's a good girl too!" she says loudly, grabbing onto his coat excitedly. "Can we go flying?"

He smiles and shakes his head slowly. "Sorry, Yugito, but the old man didn't like it very much when I did that last time. Speaking of the old man, has the Raikage been treating you well?"

She replies, "He gave me sweets! I like sweets."

Guardian chuckles at her enthusiasm and kisses her on the forehead gently. "That's good. I'll reward him for his kindness. I have to go, Yugito. But, before I go, can I talk to Kitty?" She thinks about it for a few seconds before agreeing. "Thanks, Yugito," he says with a smile.

Yugito lifts her shirt up to show the seal. He puts his hand on the seal and closes his eyes. When he opens his eyes again, he is looking at a large cave with thin bars at its entrance. "Nibi," he calls. A large blue face appears at the cave, growling loudly. It sees who it is and shrinks to a small blue cat.

He smiles and steps between the bars into the cage. "Have you been behaving yourself since our last talk, Nibi?" He asks, kneeling down to the two tailed cat. It meows loudly and rubs against his leg. Guardian chuckles and pets it gently. "I'll take that as a yes. The next time you see Kyuubi, be nice, okay?" The cat hisses at the Kitsune's name, but it reluctantly nods. He smiles again, "Good. You, Shukaku, and Kyuubi have been sealed. The rest still run free for now, but it won't last for long. Humans have grown arrogant and seek to use the Tailed Demons as tools and weapons. I will accompany the Kyuubi. You and Shukaku can take care of yourselves. Okay?" The cat purrs and puts its paws on his leg, licking the hand that pets it. "Bye for now then, Nibi," he finishes. He steps out of the cage and the cat reverts to its normal size with its two tails swaying behind it slowly.

He pulls his hand away from the seal and musses Yugito's hair again. "I'll see you in a few years. If the old man treats you badly again, then call me," Guardian says. Yugito looks disappointed but hugs him anyways.

"Bye bye, Unca Guardie," she whispers sadly.

He softly hugs her back and whispers back, "You'll see me again someday. Count on it." The strange man leaves the cave silently and disappears. The small blonde child lifts her pant leg just enough to show a blue feather tucked into her sandals.

Back in Konoha, a nurse looks down at the child entrusted into her care. Her orders are in her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she reminds herself that it is better this way. That the child is a demon who must be killed before it is too late. She lifts the knife above her head and brings it down on the sleeping Naruto, but he's gone before the blade can cut him. She gasps and turns around.

Guardian stands in her line of sight, holding Naruto with one arm. He glares at her dangerously and murmurs angrily, "I believe I instructed the old geezer in the tower that he was to be looked after. Did he order this?"

"N-no," she stammers. "The council ordered me to kill the demon brat!" She blinks and feels the knife she was holding buried deep into her gut.

Guardian glares into her eyes and whispers just loud enough for her to hear, "Nobody attacks my family and lives." Her eyes widen and he pushes the knife up into her heart, his hand covering hers on the handle. She collapses to the ground in a heap, dead. He stalks from the room, holding Naruto close to his chest.

Guards jump at him, trying to stop him. He slaps them away flippantly, sending them through the walls. Guardian makes a beeline for the Hokage Tower, nobody able to even slow him down.

Sarutobi hears from his secretary, "You can't go in there!" followed by a loud slap. His door cracks in half and falls down, revealing a furious Guardian. The Hokage's secretary lies on the ground behind him, rubbing her red cheek.

The Hokage stands quickly when he sees the bundle in the man's arms. "Why do you have Naruto, Blue?" he says with authority.

Guardian sneers, "Sit down, old man, before I kill you." Sarutobi hesitates but sits back down in his chair. "Now," Guardian says, sitting on the Hokage's desk. "I came to check up on little Naruto here, and would you like to know what I found?" He glances at the Hokage who stays silent. "I'll enlighten you to what I found! I found a young woman in the process of trying to stab little Naruto here with a knife, after I had told you that he was to be protected."

"What happened to her?" Sarutobi frowns, already suspecting the answer.

Guardian smirks, "She will never harm little Naruto again. She died with her own knife. I suppose it would look like a suicide, had the blade not been lodged into her ribcage with such force." Noticing the Hokage's deep frown, he says with a normal smile, "Oh, relax, old man. She had it coming. I think I will stick around for awhile to look after my friend here." He lets Naruto suck on his finger. Looking back into Sarutobi's eyes, he snarls quietly, "I will not be held responsible for the results if any of you foolish humans attempts to harm Naruto. Do you understand me?"

The Hokage leans onto his desk, holding his pipe in one hand. "I will not allow you to harm my village."

"And I will not allow your village to harm its hero," Guardian replies evenly. "I have looked through your village and I am not permitted to destroy it for one reason." Sarutobi's frown fades into a confused stare. "Because," continues Guardian, looking back down at Naruto, "There are still good people in this village. People who would treat him well, such as yourself, still wander the streets today. The day that changes, I will annihilate this village in a heartbeat. But, until then, I am not permitted to cause Havoc, though I'm sure I would acquire a taste for it as quickly as Kyuubi did, if not faster. I've always been a quick learner, wouldn't you agree, Kyu?" he asks, tickling Naruto's tummy.

The baby gurgles happily at his tickling, oblivious to the conversation. Inside his cage, Kyuubi roars, "_I told you never to call me that!_"

Guardian responds mentally, through the physical contact with the seal, "And there isn't anything you can do to stop me. So deal with it." Kyuubi growls at him but sighs when he realizes the futility of it.

A smile crosses Guardian's face again as he says out loud, "Naruto is under my protection. The toad man would have wanted it that way. If his own son is not revered as a hero, then I will prevent him from becoming the village's target practice."

Sarutobi thinks about it. "Oh yeah!" Guardian exclaims, leaning closer to the wrinkled man. "You couldn't stop me if you tried. Think about it, Hokage person, the baby will be protected, the toad man's last wish will be at least partially fulfilled, and you will not have to deal with the constant job of his safety. It will be in your favor if you cooperate instead of trying to oppose me."

"You have a point," Sarutobi admits after a long minute. "You will be given room and board to stay in. I officially put Naruto into your care. But, you may not take him outside the village." Guardian nods with a bored expression on his face. "And if I hear about you abusing him or harming him in any way, I will have you arrested, powerful or not. Do we have a deal?"

Guardian grins and shakes the Hokage's hand quickly. "Deal! See you around!" He starts to walk to the door when the Hokage calls, "What is your real name, Mr. Blue?"

He looks over his shoulder and smiles slightly, "My friends call me Guardian."

After he disappears down the stairs, the Hokage mutters to himself, "Guardian? He acts like a Guardian Angel to Naruto." He shrugs and tries to regain order in the tower.

Guardian sneezes and smirks, "Someone must be talking about me. A pretty lady, I wish; but with my luck, I doubt it." He moves into the crowd, unnoticed by ninja and civilians alike.

**Read and Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still own Guardian, but not the Narutoverse characters.

**In Konoha the Next Morning:**

A loud cracking sound erupts from a wall than it explodes. Two men fly out into the street, covered in bruises and cuts. The blue-clad form of the Guardian slowly steps out the new entrance in the wall with Naruto in his arms. The men stagger to their feet.

"What part of Do Not Harm Naruto did you miss?" he growls fearsomely. The men see him coming and try to run away but a strong gust of wind knocks their legs out from under them, causing them to land on their backs hard.

He jumps into the air and lands with a foot on the left knee of one and the right knee of the other. The large man slowly grinds their broken kneecaps into thousands of pieces, relishing their screams of agony. "Stupid humans," he mutters. Civilians stare in shock at the brutality. Ninja appear around him.

"Come with us, sir. You are under arrest for the assault of Konoha citizens," a young Anbu says with a deceptively bored tone. Spikey silver hair pokes out from his hood. He reaches for Guardian's arm when he finds himself off the ground gasping for air faster than he could blink. He thinks, "_What just happened?"  
_

Guardian says slowly and pleasantly, despite the Anbu being strangled in his free hand, "You ninja will _not_ interfere with my activities. You _will_ arrest those men for the attempted murder of Naruto Uzumaki and interrogate them. If you interfere with my activities, you will regret it. Am I making myself clear, young ninja?" The Anbu manages to shake his head, still gasping for air.

The Anbu drops to the ground as Guardian disappears into thin air. He rubs his throat as his teammates help him to his feet. Noticing the civilians around them, he signs in Anbu code, "Obito, Rin, find him. I'll inform the Hokage."

They sign back simultaneously, "Yes, Kakashi." The trio disappears in a swirl of leaves.

**In the Hokage Tower:**

"Sarutobi!" growls Guardian angrily, his slitted eyes falling onto the leader. The Hokage sighs and pushes the paperwork aside. "He was supposed to be protected! Look at this!" shouts Guardian. He holds out Naruto and unwraps the blanket to show crude scars across his chest. Dried blood cakes the blanket. The man snarls, "If it were not for the Furball in his gut, the boy would have died!"

The Hokage takes Naruto from Guardian and rocks the infant in his arms. "Who did this to him?" he says with a deep frown.

"Your _Beloved_ villagers," spits Guardian. "Next one to lay a finger on him dies, Old Man, as I promised. I left his attackers crippled, this time."

He disappears faster than the Hokage can track. The Anbu appears in the office, "Lord Hokage, a stranger in blue attire assaulted two citizens and escaped with the Kyuubi's container!"

"I know, Anbu," he says as he softly holds up Naruto for him to see. "Put those men in prison and interrogate them. Do the same for anyone who would harm Naruto, no matter their rank or position in the government." The Anbu pauses and anime sweat drops as he thinks about how similar the two men's instructions are.

**At the Orphanage:**

The caretaker is overseeing the cooks making breakfast for the orphans. A blue figure appears behind her. "Hello, ma'am," he says cordially. "Naruto Uzumaki will be joining this orphanage soon."

Her eyes narrow instantly and she sneers, "Good! I'll be able to teach that de—" She is cut off by the strong hand around her throat. Guardian lifts her off the ground and slams her against a wall, breaking a few ribs.

"Now, listen carefully, madam," he says calmly while staring coldly into her eyes. "That boy is close enough to be considered my cousin. I will not tolerate any mistreatment of him. In fact, if you do not encourage the other children to befriend him, I will come back."

"The Hokage—" she starts.

He tightens his grip to silence her. "The Hokage is a senile fool who has no real power. He cannot stop me. Nobody in this village can stop me. If I find out that he is mistreated, I will kill you. I will always be watching you. Do you understand?"

The cooks stare at him fearfully during this conversation. "But!"

"No buts, madam," he states smoothly. "I am leaving now. Tell anyone you want of this conversation, in fact, I advise it. That way, if you end up dead someday, people will know why, and not to mess with my cousin."

As he turns to walk away, she mutters, "Demon lover!"

An instant later she disappears and reappears on the Hokage monument. Guardian whispers in her ear, "People like you give humanity a bad name." He pushes her over the side and watches her fall. At the last moment, he and she both disappear again and reappear in the orphanage.

She is quivering in his arms, still screaming. He says over her screaming, "Next time, I will let not be there to catch you! Learn your place, human! My family will not be harmed by insects like you."

He disappears again and reappears in the doorway of a weapons shop. He walks in and smiles, "Hello, Sir. I was wondering if you had any weapons that you think would fit me."

The weapons maker looks the stranger over and smiles. "I think I have just the thing, stranger." He reaches under the counter and pulls out a long metallic bo staff. "This has been in my family—"

"For generations. It is unbreakable as far as you can tell. You normally would not even show this to anyone, but something about me seems trustworthy enough to wield it because I would not use it for evil. Your name is Dustin," Guardian finishes with a smile. Dustin stares at him with wide eyes.

"How did you know that!" he exclaims, reaching for the nearest weapons in his shop.

Guardian smiles and balances the bo staff on one finger. He tosses it into the air and catches it, spinning it in circles before stopping, and putting it back down on the counter. "It is a masterpiece, Weapon Master Dustin. I have seen no finer, and I have seen a lot. I will take it," he says conversationally, as if nothing happened. Dustin stares at him cautiously, debating about what to do. Guardian pulls out a thick wallet, "What are you charging for the bo staff?"

Dustin smiles slightly, still wary of the stranger, "Since it is a family heirloom, I'll say it is free. Anything else will cost money though. It's always good to make a first good impression on new customers."

"Indeed it is, sir," Guardian grins. His grin fades as he inquires, "Have you heard about the Uzumaki boy?"

Dustin nods quickly, "Of course! Who hasn't? He's our village's hero!" Guardian snorts and covers it with a cough. "Are you okay, sir?"

"The name's Guardian," he replies with a smile. "I am glad you see him that way. I wondered what my master meant when I was given my instructions." He starts to walk away with his new bo staff. "

"Who is your master?" Dustin calls after him.

Guardian smirks and says over his shoulder, "The Master of all, naturally. He said that there are still good men in this village. If anyone else had told me that, I would have called him a liar, but he cannot lie. Thank you for showing me that good still exists in this village of demons."

"Demons?!" Dustin exclaims. "What are you talking about? We are all humans!"

Guardian snarls, "Yes, you and people like you are human. But, the way that the rest of the villagers think and plan on doing to Uzumaki are worse than most demons I have met in my lifetime. Humanity's depravity has sunk lower than that of demons. If I had my way, humanity would be nothing but a bad memory." He smiles, "Than again, while people like you exist, there is hope. We must always have hope. Have a good day, Sir."

Dustin watches him as he walks into the street and disappears into the crowd. "What a strange man," he murmurs. He shrugs and goes back to his work of hanging up the weapons for the day and sorting the scrolls for sales.

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own Guardian and any coworkers of him. I don't own the Narutoverse.

_Author's Note: Guardian is looking after these 3 containers specifically, because they are small children. The others are either not contained or are old enough to take care of themselves. Look at the end to see the translations of the phrases with numbers by them._

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**Three Year Filler: **

After the Kyuubi attack on Konoha, the Leaf village was short on ninja. The Cloud village took advantage of the shortage and started a war on the Leaf village.

The villagers took advantage of most ninja being out of the village on the battlefront to attack Naruto. If they managed to harm him at all, it quickly ended by Guardian returning from visiting the other two children. The villagers who dared to attack Uzumaki never survived to warn others to do otherwise. This only fueled the hatred for the boy, and people still tried, and failed, to kill him.

After a long struggle, the Cloud sought peaceful negotiations. An envoy of three Cloud ninja representatives arrived in Konoha.

**Present Day:**

The envoy strolls through Konoha's streets casually with their ninja escort. They feel as if someone is watching them, but they shrug it off as the constant gaze of passing villagers.

**A Mile Away on Top of the Hokage Monument:**

Guardian stares down at them from the Fourth's stone head. Three year old Naruto sleeps in a small, seal-covered sleeping bag beside him. His pupils shrink as he zooms in on the foreign ninja. "These other ninja are hiding something," he murmurs thoughtfully. "Maybe I should tell the old man…nah, not my business." Since he has nothing else to do, he continues watching them.

A woman's voice says from behind him, "Well, you are a babysitter now, GA?"

"I go by Guardian, Tahylour. You know that," he states, not looking away from the foreigners.

The young woman kneels next to Naruto. Her long brown hair is braided into two ponytails and brush against his whisker marks when she leans over him. He mumbles in his sleep and rolls over. She inquires, "This little guy holds holds back Red and Furry? Humans are amazing."

"**How many times have I told you not to call me that? It's as bad as being called Furball!"** Kyuubi shouts from inside his prison. Tahylour ignores his yelling and softly strokes the boy's cheek.

Guardian snorts, "I've met demons who would put most humans to shame."

She pulls his shirt down a few inches along with the sleeping bag. "This boy has scars," she frowns darkly. Her plain brown dress begins to glow. "Why does this boy have scars, GA?"

Guardian ignores her glowing and replies, "There have been as many assassination attempts on his life as a third of our kind's numbers. Enemy ninja attack to prevent him from being used as a weapon against them, and villagers attack him because 'he's a demon!' Those fools; if He had control, they'd all be dead by now."

Tahylour glows brighter and the air around her shimmer when she clenches her fist. She says coldly, "I am going to wipe out this village right now." She starts to float off the ground and her brown hair slowly starts hovering up and morphing into a single braid. Her dress disappears slowly and is replaced by golden armor. A tiara forms in her hair as a sword extends from her palm. Her dark brown eyes become like cat slits.

"Master said no! Besides, I stopped the attackers. I even started a skull collection, but they are slow learners," he says quickly, turning to face her. "Now, how about you? How is that one friend of yours doing?"

"Her name is Eleniel, you know," Tahylour grinds out furiously. "She can come and help me wipe out these devils!" She thinks, '_Eleniel, humans have harmed the family.'_

Guardian steps forward and says solemnly, "Master said no. A few good people still live here."

A figure drops to the Hokage monument next to Tahylour with nearly identical armor. Her pointy ears hold her blonde hair back. "Than point them out so that my armies will spare them," the newcomer grins. "And you might want to hurry before we begin."

Tahylour's hands are already shaking with rage. "Thanks for coming, Eleniel," she says quietly. "Now, let's kill them." They both lunge forward but each of their blades are stopped by two long blue feather-shaped swords.

"Continue on this path, and I will stop both of you," Guardian states gravely. "Do not fight me, sister."

Tahylour glares into his eyes, "Get out of my way, brother."

"No," he says simply before glancing at Eleniel's twin swords pushing back against his blade. "Stand down, Elf."

"You have no authority here," she growls. She does a backflip than jumps over his head towards the village. He jump kicks Tahylour in the chest, sending her back a few feet and grabs onto Eleniel's ankle. He swings her around in the air and sends her flying back into the rock above the stone heads. A strong gust of wind blows him back onto the monument. Both women glare at him furiously. He twirls his swords and strikes a defensive stance.

"Master said no, and he meant no. I can call a legion of ten thousand of our kind in an instant. Do not speak to me of authority," he responds calmly.

Eleniel sheathes her twin blades and pulls out a bow, loading three arrows into it. She aims at Guardian's eye and smirks, "Mae govennen(1). You can call ten thousand, but I can call twenty million of my kind to fight you. It's good to be queen."

"Gen melon(2)," Guardian replies in Elvish. "Do not force my hand, ally."

Eleniel releases an arrow which he quickly slices in half. "Ally?" she snarls. "Gen Fuion(3)! Don lin lost(4). How can you side with these creatures?"

"Master's word is final," Guardian states. "And he says that they live until he deems otherwise."

Eleniel and Tahylour exchange glances and get ready to lunge when Naruto yawns and rubs his eyes. Tahylour's armor and weapons disappear and are replaced by her brown dress. Her hair flows back into two braids. Eleniel hangs her bow over her back next to her arsenal of arrows. Her blades sit in their sheathes on either side of her hips.

Naruto sits up and gapes at the two women. "Are you an angel?" he says bluntly, staring at Tahylour.

Eleniel smirks, "Perceptive little man, isn't he?" Tahylour blushes but remains silent. He stands up and looks over to Eleniel.

"You're really pretty!" he says loudly. Tahylour laughs at the situation flip when the elf blushes.

Eleniel leans over and kisses his forehead gently. "Gil sila erin govaded(5)," she whispers. "Call me when you're older. You're cute." Guardian rolls his eyes and slides the two swords into his cloak.

"You're both angels!" the boy announces cheerfully. He tackles them in a hug, managing to only be able to wrap his arms around Tahylour's waist and one of Eleniel's legs. Tahylour lifts him up and kisses his nose affectionately.

Tahylour murmurs, "She's right. You are cute. And Red and Furry will make sure you live almost as long as we do."

Eleniel grins as her keen hearing picks up the comment. "Really? He's mine!"

Tahylour turns to Guardian and says with puppy dog eyes, "Can I keep him?" Naruto doesn't have a clue what they are arguing about, but he likes it!

Guardian pulls Naruto out of her arms and sets him on the ground beside him. "Nobody gets him! He's a person, not an object!"

"I'm counting on it," Eleniel grins mischievously.

Guardian sighs and whispers to Naruto, "Naruto, I was hoping you would never have to find out what this is like, but Master must find it amusing somehow to allow this to happen."

"Find out about what?" Naruto asks curiously, scratching his head.

Guardian points to the two young women. "The horrors of having…fangirls!" Naruto tilts his head curiously as he follows the finger to the women. "Trust me. Someday, you will understand." Naruto nods quickly and doesn't say anything.

Tahylour's eyes narrow as she looks past the two males to the village below. "I'll be right back. I will obey Master's orders and not destroy the village," she says with the calmness related with the massive doses of killer intent radiating off of her, rivaling Guardian's.

Eleniel follows her gaze and draws her swords, "Me too!" Guardian frowns and steps out of their way. His hand hovers in his cloak on the hilt of his feather-shaped sword.

"Very well," replies Guardian cautiously. Tahylour jumps off the monument and glides to the ground below, a glowing aura surrounding her as she glides.

Eleniel pauses and glances over her shoulder at Guardian. "By the way, GA, Ethlethio o ndor neen(6). Naamarie(7)." With that, she leaps off the monument and freefalls to the ground, Tahylour barely catching her in time.

"You're trying to kill yourself," Tahylour states matter-of-factly.

"I am not!" Eleniel gasps with mock offense. "I would have landed on Somebody soft if you had not caught me." Tahylour glances next to her, and sure enough there was a fat merchant walking by. Tahylour sighs at her friend's antics.

Guardian watches them curiously with Naruto. The two women dart down the streets with speed rivaling that of a seasoned Jonin. They rush past the people with ease and duck in an alley. A few seconds later, a dozen heads roll out into the street. Guardian's frown depends. "What are you up to?" he mutters to himself.

Tahylour and Eleniel slowly exit the alley, fully clad in armor, with a small girl. Her clothes are ripped and blood drips from her lip. Eleniel cleans her blades and sheathes them, "That was satisfying!" Guardian's eyes narrow and he zooms in on the small mark on her neck that is radiating of sheer evil.

"I know that mark," he growls. "And I know its maker."

Tahylour kneels beside the girl and wipes away the blood with a small hankerchief. "Are you all right, little girl?"

"I'm not little!" the girl protests. "I'm 12 years old and my name is Anko!"

"You sure are brave, Anko," Eleniel says with a smile.

Tahylour frowns, "Why were you being beat up?"

Anko frowns and glances between the two women. "Well…my teacher is a traitor to the village, and they beat me up because they think I'm like him."

Tahylour slowly wipes off her sword before it vanishes. Eleniel bites back a growl and pats the girl's head. "They won't be beating you up again." She looks at Tahylour. "The longer I am here, the more I dislike this village."

An Anbu appears with his squad. "You are under arrest for the murder of Konoha citizens!" Guardian recognizes the Anbu instantly and palms his forehead.

Tahylour slowly turns and stares at the Anbu. "Oh really?" Eleniel grins evilly. The Anbu, who is Kakashi, gets a very strong sense of déjà vu. His squad looks at each other as the same feeling washes over them. Tahylour's sword reforms in her hand. "How about you don't, and say you did?"

"You're coming with us," Kakashi states as he reaches for her arm. A split second later, he finds himself laying on his back with a sword pressing against his chin. Tahylour is crouching on his chest while Eleniel has her blades pressing against the backs of both Rin and Obito's necks. The elf and angel both grin. Kakashi thinks, '_You've got to be kidding me! More of them?_'

Anko stares at the two women in awe. "I want to learn how to do that!" she exclaims. Eleniel smirks, "Okay, Anko, we'll teach you."

"Yes we will," giggles Tahylour. "This is going to be fun." She leans over Kakashi and pokes his neck just enough to draw blood. "If you ninja try to interfere with us, we will kill you. If any villagers try to attack her, we will kill them. Do you understand?" Obito and Rin's eyes both go wide when they hear the message and they think simultaneously, '_Déjà vu!'_

Kakashi groans mentally, '_Why me?_'

They both jump away from the Anbu, sheathing their blades or making them disappear. "Naamarie(7)!" calls Eleniel. Tahylour grabs onto Anko and they leap away across the rooftops. Anko squeals happily at how fast they are going.

Naruto watches the situation from the monument, unconsciously accessing a miniscule amount of Kyuubi's chakra to enhance his vision. "Uncle Guard," Naruto says slowly.

"Yes, Naruto?" replies Guardian.

Naruto looks up at him, "Is she going to be my new sister?"

Guardian glances at the boy and smiles, "Yes, I think so." He thinks '_It only cost me being banished from ever visiting the Elf Kingdom again, but yes, you have a new sister.'_ Naruto smiles happily as he goes back to watching new family.

**……………………………………………..**

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Elvish Translations:

(1) Well met.

(2) I love you.

(3) I am disgusted with you.

(4) Your head is empty

(5) A star shines on the hour of our meeting.

(6) I banish you from my lands.

(7) Farewell


	6. Chapter 6

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse. I do own Guardian and company.

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**Later that Night: **

Naruto rolls over in his small bed and looks at Guardian, who is watching over him. "Uncle, why does everyone hate me for saving them from Kyuubi?"

Guardian smiles slightly, "Because they are fools worthy of death. But, the ramen people treat you well, don't they?" Naruto nods. "See? Not everyone hates you." Naruto smiles and nods again before rolling over to go to sleep.

Eleniel leans in the doorway and whispers to Guardian, "I'm going to check out the newcomers. I have a bad feeling about them." Guardian raises an eyebrow and turns to look at Naruto again. The elven queen jumps out the nearest window and creeps through the shadows towards where she saw them being housed. She steps further into the shadows against a wall when she sees the Cloud ninja sneak out of their building, clothed in black.

The elf draws her bow and arrow and slides two arrows against the bowstring. She follows them silently. The group of Cloud Jonin looks around suspiciously but continues forward when they do not see anyone. They sneak into the Hyuga compound, seeming to know where the patrols are. Eleniel frowns darkly as the implications come to her. She sneaks in after them and crouches against the far wall of the compound. She notices them heading for a small child's bedroom.

Using her flawless night vision, she unleashes two arrows across the compound and straight into two of their foreheads. They drop with a thud, startling the survivor. He looks around, drawing a kunai. Sensing nobody nearby using chakra, he examines the bodies. He seals them into two scrolls and gets into the building before any patrols see him.

Eleniel grunts when he leaves her line of sight. She rolls to the ground and runs through the building from the opposite side, using her elven skills to move noiselessly. She pauses at a doorway and peeks in to see him reaching for the Hyuga Heiress. She takes out a throwing knife and tosses it into the room. He deflects it at the last moment with his kunai, only to come face to face with a furious Eleniel.

She whispers harshly, "Pick on children, will you?" She slaps his hands away before he can touch her and rams and arrow into his throat. She yanks it out and tosses it to the floor.

Hinata opens her eyes sleepily and sees the dead ninja. She opens her mouth to scream when Eleniel covers her mouth and whispers, "Go back to sleep. Don't scream. I just saved you. Stay here." Hinata nods quickly and the elf lets go of her mouth. Smiling, she turns to leave the room but Hiashi is standing in the doorway, staring at her and the dead body. "How much did you hear?" Eleniel inquires.

Hiashi frowns, "I heard what you told my daughter, which is the only reason you are still alive."

"Actually, I heard you coming," Eleniel smirks. "Dwarves breath softer than you walk and I can hear them fine." Hiashi quirks an eyebrow at her odd statement. "Another thing, the security here is pathetic!"

Hiashi gestures for her to come outside. She follows him out of the room with her hand resting on her sword hilt. Hiashi spins on his heel and states, "How did you know they were going to attack?"

"I didn't. Something was off about them so I followed them in. They knew the locations of your patrols after only one day of being here, and none of that time being near your compound," Eleniel says suspiciously. "I think you have a traitor in your midst."

Hiashi glances back into his daughter's room at the dead ninja and whispers, "How am I going to explain this?"

Eleniel crosses her arms over her chest, "Do any of your clan use arrows?" He shakes his head. "Good, than you're safe. The other village cannot pin blame on you when they were clearly killed with foreign weapons."

"You're very clever," Hiashi says with a smile.

Eleniel's eyes narrow, "You don't stand a chance with me, buster. I'm going to start training that little princess of yours because she has a good heart and because they will make more attempts after this on her life. Naruto, Anko, and she will be like family before I am done."

Hiashi frowns, "The demon container and the snake sannin's apprentice?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Eleniel growls dangerously.

Hiashi shakes his head, "If you will train her to be a proper heir and strong ninja, than I have no problems with it. Can I have your assurance that she will be safe?"

Eleniel rolls her eyes, "Do you honestly think I would train her if I didn't plan on keeping her safe? Seriously, humans are idiots!"

"And what are you, Miss?" Hiashi asks curiously.

She grins mischievously, "You'll just have to find out. See you tomorrow, Lord Hyuga."

She turns to leave when he calls after her, "You have me at a disadvantage! You know my name, but I don't know yours."

The elf glances over her shoulder at him and retorts, "Queen Eleniel." She sprints up the compound wall and does a back flip over it. He stares at where she disappeared for several seconds before snapping out of it.

He whispers, "She saved my daughter's life and will train her. I must get to know this woman better. She's even royalty of some sort." He smiles slightly and goes back to his daughter's room to collect the body, but it is already gone. Two scrolls lay in its place. Hiashi focuses chakra into the scrolls, unsealing the two dead bodies with arrows in their foreheads. He picks up the discarded arrow from the third ninja and slips it into his robe's inner pocket. Frowning, he yanks the cloths off of the dead ninja faces, revealing the Cloud headbands. "The Hokage will hear of this betrayal from Cloud."

**

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**

At Naruto's Apartment:

Tahylour watches over Anko as she sleeps, staring at the strange seal uneasily. "I'll have to get rid of that soon, I think. Getting Guardian's help will be necessary for this one."

**

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**

In Naruto's Room:

Guardian lifts the head of the third cloud ninja from the rest of the body. "Filthy humans attack those weaker than them without mercy," he whispers while sealing the rest of the body in a scroll found on the dead ninjas belt. "I think it's about time we gave the Raikage a visit." He vanishes into thin air.

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**In the Raikage's Office: **

Guardian appears, drawing a long feather shaped sword. "What is it?" the Raikage inquires without looking up from his paperwork.

Guardian snaps, "Catch!" He throws the head at the kage who catches it with ease and stares at it for awhile in stunned silence. "I believe that's the head of your council, isn't it? Why did you try to kidnap the Hyuga Heiress? Going after children is despicable, even for ninja!"

"I-I didn't order this!" he sputters. He looks up at Guardian in shock, "I sent them to try to negotiate a peace treaty, not to kidnap a Hyuga! Doing that would be suicide!"

"Unless you were able to pay the Hyuga Council enough to betray their clan head in order to get more power," Guardian frowns, crossing his arms over his chest.

The Raikage states firmly, "I did not order this! The council went behind my back!"

Guardian looks into the Raikage's eyes and says, "I believe you, but you will have to deal with your own council. The Hyuga Heiress is now under The Family's protection."

"As you say," the Raikage replies, looking back at his former comrade's head. At that exact moment, Guardian hears a loud ringing in his ears and Temari's voice saying, "Guardian, Guardian, Guardian!"

He scowls and states, "Keep Yugito safe and stay away from the Hyuga clan. I have other business to attend to." He disappears again in a flash of blue.

**

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**

At the Gates of The Hidden Sand Village:

Guardian stalks past the gate guards, smashing their heads together in passing before they can react to his sudden appearance. He stalks towards the building where he feels Shukaku's chakra reeking out. He runs up the side of the building quickly, his feet digging into the side of the building as he climbs until he reaches the roof.

Gaara sits there surrounded by sand and a dead ninja. The kanji for love is freshly engraved on his forehead. Guardian approaches him slowly. "Stay away!" Gaara shouts, throwing sand at him. Guardian frowns and slaps the sand away.

"Settle down, boy!" he orders. "I did not come to kill you."

Gaara glares at him furiously, "Than why are you here?"

"To find out why someone would call for aide," Guardian replies evenly. "What happened?"

Gaara covers himself with sand to hide his tears, "Daddy sent uncle to kill me and I killed him instead. I can't trust anyone. I can only love myself or people will try to kill me again!"

Guardian growls, "I will be right back." He punches a hole in the roof and jumps into it, dropping three floors into the Kazekage's office. He tosses the desk aside, picks the Kazekage out of his seat, and slams him through a wall. "I told you never to harm Gaara!" he roars. He sprints through the wall and punches him out of the side of the building. "I told you to keep him safe!" He jumps out and lands on his ribcage, making a crater in the dark street. "I told you to be a father to him otherwise I would kill you!" He lifts the Kazekage up by the throat and glares into his eyes, "You didn't listen."

The Kazekage spits on Guardian's face and retorts, "The demon is dead and the village is safe from now on, even if you kill me!"

"Safe? Safe!" Guardian yells in his face, ignoring the spit dripping down his cheek. "You dare call my cousin's container a demon, than you try to kill him. That is putting your village in the worst kind of jeopardy that you could possibly do! Attacking children really pisses me off!" The Kazekage simply stays silent, having witnessed over the past three years the uselessness of most assassination attempts on the blue-clothed Guardian. Growling, the man in blue rips off the Kazekage's head and tosses it aside. He rips out the man's spinal cord and snaps it over his knee, blood splattering everywhere. Gaara watches in awe from the roof, Shukaku cheering loudly from his cage.

Kunkuro and Temari watch from the doorway of the building. Slowing his breathing down, Guardian drops his blood covered gloves onto the sandy road. "You called me?" he says to Temari. She nods and holds out the feather to him. He smiles slightly, "Gaara is alive and on the roof. I will deal with the situation momentarily, but this fool is taken care of."

Temari comes closer and spits on her father's body. "That man was a monster and I refuse to call him my father!" she states solemnly.

Guardian smiles and gestures for Kunkuro to join his sister in front of him. When Kunkuro comes close to him, Guardian says, "You two have done well tonight in calling me here. For that, I will show you my true form." He slides off his cloak and the children's eyes go wide.

Guardian slowly stretches out his pair of dark blue feathery wings. His blue skin seems to glow in the moonlight. Guardian's spiky blue hair stays behind his ears. Temari blushes when she sees Guardian's well toned bare chest. He smiles at her and slowly turns in a circle. He wears a pair of pants that stop just below his knees where his large furry wolf feet start. Wolf fur goes up the back of his legs and forms a tail out of his backside. It wags slightly. He smiles at them, revealing sharp canines. He flexes the talon fingers on his wing tips and says, "So, what do you think?"

"Cool!" Kunkuro shouts.

Temari mutters, "Wow!" Her eyes slowly trail up and down. "What are you, Guardian?" she says breathlessly.

Guardian chuckles and picks up his cloak. "Nothing much," he replies calmly. "Just a Guardian Angel. The Tailed Demons are my cousins, since I am an angel, and I've decided to look after them once they are sealed up in humans." He smiles at them, "But the only three I really got along with were Kyuubi, Shukaku, and Nibi, so those three are the ones that I will look after. The others can look after themselves or get sealed up. One way or another, they will manage."

Temari looks at him with starry eyes, "Can you come back here more often to look after Gaara?"

"Yes, I can," Guardian responds, "The next Kazekage needs to be 'informed' of how things work around here with me." He grins mischievously. "And it will definitely be fun. Stay here." He soars into the sky and lands softly on the roof. "Now, Gaara, let's talk about this depression you are stuck in." Gaara watches him cautiously, the sand instinctively staying away from him and near its master. Shukaku groans when he sees Guardian again and covers his eyes with his paws. Guardian tells Gaara, "I think it's about time I told you about my family, which, in turn, is also Your family." The small red-head's eyes widen as he starts to reveal the legacy of the Angels and Demons. Temari and Kunkuro run up the stairs to listen.

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	7. Chapter 7

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse. I do own Guardian, Tahylour, and Eleniel.

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**The Next Morning: **

Naruto eats up his pancakes and ramen across the table from Anko who is munching on her own pancakes and eating dango skewers on the side. Tahylour and Eleniel sit on either side of Anko while Naruto slurps up his ramen. He sighs, "Heavenly."

Anko bites off another dango ball from the bamboo toothpick and throws it at Naruto, impaling the table next to his bowl. "Dango is the best food ever!"

"Ramen," growls Naruto stubbornly. Their argument gets louder between bites.

Guardian walks into the room to see Anko being held in place on her side of the table by Eleniel while Tahylour holds back Naruto. He sighs and rubs his temples. He thinks, '_What did I get myself into?_' The angel and the elf manage to calm them down by holding them by the shoulders with one hand and waving dango and ramen under their noses. The aroma of their favorite foods calm them down enough for them to go back to eating, though they whisper loudly whose food is the best.

The blue-skinned man drapes his cloak over the back of his chair and clears his throat. Everyone looks at him, only Anko staring. She murmurs breathlessly, "As delectable as dango…"

Tahylour nudges Anko and whispers, "That's my brother you're talking about."

The twelve year old grins, "Than I can keep it in the family!"

Guardian interrupts them by bringing three children from behind him into view. He points to the sandy blonde haired girl and states, "This is Temari, the daughter of the late Fourth Kazekage." He gestures to the two boys. "This is Kankuro and Gaara, the sons of the late Fourth Kazekage. Gaara has cousin Shukaku in his gut." Kankuro waves warily and Gaara holds onto his teddy bear tightly. Temari smiles and bows politely to the group.

Tahylour pats the seat next to her and prepares a plate of pancakes for Temari. Gaara and Kankuro sit to the right of Naruto. The hyperactive blonde says, "You protect everyone too? That's so cool!" He hugs his new friend tightly, ignoring the sand that is trying to pry him off. "You're my new brother!"

Gaara glances at Guardian for help, who peels off Naruto with a fresh bowl of ramen. The two boys get their own helping of pancakes prepared by Tahylour. After a few bites, Kankuro exclaims, "These are good! Lady, you sure can cook!"

"I know," Tahylour smiles brightly. "Thanks for the compliment though. Enjoy your food!" She sits back in her seat near Kankuro who has hearts in his eyes.

He murmurs, "I'm in love."

Guardian nudges him and states, "That's my sister that you're talking about." Kankuro jumps a little at the nudge and quickly starts eating his pancakes.

The small red haired boy slowly eats his pancakes when he is interrupted by a huge hug from behind. Eleniel squeals, "He's so cute with his little teddy bear and he's a red head to boot! Tahylour, you get Naruto. I get this one!" Gaara turns red and freezes up at the unexpected attention. Guardian pulls Eleniel off of Gaara and lifts her off of the ground by the back of her shirt.

"I recall saying that you don't get Anybody because they are People and not Things!" Guardian states.

Eleniel grins at him innocently, "Oh, did you? I don't remember you saying that!"

"I said it just now too, so you had better remember!" Guardian grouches.

Eleniel smirks and slips out of his grip, "You know me!"

"That's the problem," Guardian sighs as he sits between Tahylour and Kankuro. A hesitant knock reverberates from the door.

Naruto announces loudly, "I'll get it!" He rushes from his seat, stumbling and rolling a few times, but he gets back up in stride with his falling and opens the door. Hinata pushes her fingers together and blushes furiously when she sees Naruto.

She stutters nervously, "M-My father s-s-said that I-I am s-supposed to come o-over here to t-train with T-Teacher E-Eleniel."

Naruto asks bluntly, "Have you had breakfast yet?" She shakes her head. "Good!" Naruto cheers. "You can have pancakes with us!" He grabs her hand and drags her to the table, sitting her down on his left side. Naruto seems completely oblivious to her near fainting condition and even allows her to try some of his favorite ramen. Guardian raises an eyebrow at that, since Naruto never shares his ramen with anyone.

"Are we expecting any other uninvited guests?" Tahylour inquires, eyeing the small remaining stack of pancakes on the stove. She sighs in relief when her brother shakes his head.

There is another knock at the door. Guardian growls as he rises from his chair, "Who is it this time?" He opens the door and glowers down at the Hokage who stares at him in amazement. "What do you want, old man?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to Naruto for a few minutes," Sarutobi inquires, staring at Guardian's wings and legs.

"Naruto, want to talk to the old man?" Guardian calls over his shoulder. When Naruto nods, he steps aside and gestures for him to come inside. The Hokage walks into the room and shifts his gaze from Naruto, to Anko, to the Sand siblings, to Hinata, and back to Guardian.

The Hokage takes a deep breath to stay calm and says slowly, "Why are the Kazekage's children, Hiashi's daughter, and Anko here with you, Guardian?"

"Oh yeah, them," Guardian smirks. "Let me see…the shy girl is being trained by the elf with her father's permission, the dango lover is being trained by my sister, and the Kazekage's children are here because I killed him and they need a safe place to stay until the next Kazekage is selected and we have come to an agreement."

Sarutobi's jaw drops, "You killed the Fourth Kazekage?! How? Why? When?"

"Yes, by tearing out his spine and snapping it over my knee, because he tried to kill my cousin who is inside of Gaara, and last night," Guardian says amiably. "Any questions? Stop looking so worried, old man. This won't start a war between Konoha and Suna. Even if it did, I would take on the Suna ninjas with sister and the elf, right?" Eleniel and Tahylour both nod emphatically while eating more pancakes. Guardian grins at the stunned Hokage, "See? No harm done. Do you want some pancakes? Sister made them."

Sarutobi keeps his breathing slow so that he does not go into shock and slowly shakes his head. "I think I will just go to the tower and get my paperwork done for today. This is going to be a load of paperwork like never before," he groans as he leaves the house.

Guardian closes the door and shrugs. "I guess what he had to say wasn't all that important after all." He sits down and piles pancakes onto his plate before starting to eat.

Tahylour inquires quietly to Gaara, "Does cousin Shukaku keep you up at night?"

"Sometimes," admits Gaara. He hugs his teddy bear closer. "But I don't want him to get lonely, otherwise he'll be like me. I stay up to talk to him sometimes if I can't sleep."

Tahylour leans over the table and kisses Gaara on the forehead gently. "That is very nice of you," she says with a smile. Gaara smiles a little and eats another bite of pancakes.

His eyes get wide and he whispers, "Pancakes…are very good." He eats more, trying to feed a piece to his teddy bear. He decides that the bear must not be hungry for it since it won't eat any, so he eats it for his teddy bear.

Anko eats more dango and grins, "And the family keeps growing!"

Guardian mutters under his breath between bites, "And all this because I didn't stop Kyu from attacking the village."

"What was that?" says Tahylour with a wider than usual smile, usually meaning that Guardian is about to be in a lot of trouble.

"Nothing," he replies with a smirk. He continues eating, his wings pinning a hand sized spider puppet against the wall that was creeping up his back. "Cut it out or I kill the spider," he says without looking up from his food. Kankuro shivers at the sight of his damaged spider puppet and starts eating with vigor. Naruto laughs and slaps Kankuro on the back, earning a glare from the older boy.

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	8. Chapter 8

**On a Particularly Boring Day: **

The villagers pack into the square to see a contest. Holding a microphone is the blue-clothed mystery announcer. "Today is the Ninja Cook-off Extraordinaire!" he declares. "Presenting the contestants is yours truly, the Guardian!" He bows dramatically with his cloak flaring up around him as a strong gust of wind blows. "At table one is the lovely Eleniel with her cute assistant Gaara!" The little boy holds onto his teddy bear tighter. Everyone sits on a platform with a table full of cooking ingredients in front of them. The eleven queen pulls her golden hair behind her ears and dons a frilly yellow apron. Guardian announces, "They are here today to prove that pancakes are indeed the ultimate dish!"

"Competing with this cute couple is the spunky Anko assisted by my dear sister. Let's hear it for Tahylour!" The crowd goes wild, making the angelic woman blush. She twirls her long brown pigtails. The crowd finds it adorable which only eggs them on to cheer her on. She waves her fingers at them shyly before focusing on the task before her. "These two plans on proving that with the right preparation the sweet treat called dango is indeed the best dish! Will they succeed? That is up to our judges."

"And last, but not at all least is Naruto assisted by the blossoming desert rose! Leeet's give it up for Temari of the Sand!" The crowd goes nuts. "They are here with special blessing by the Inuichi Ramen Stand to prove that ramen is the tastiest most versatile dish yet! Contestants, what do you have to say?"

Guardian hops from his podium and lands in front of Naruto. The blonde boy pumps his fist in the air and shouts into the mic, "Ramen is the best and you guys are going down! Believe it!" Temari nods half-heartedly in agreement. His enthusiasm seems catchy even for her.

Hinata calls from the crowd, "You can do it, Naruto!" When he waves to her, she faints away. Naruto looks puzzled.

Guardian moves to the next table holding out his mic. Gaara states solemnly, "Pancakes shall prevail."

The elf leans over, grabs the mic, and quickly inserts, "Which has nothing to do with the fact that my armies could destroy this village in a minute flat!" She grins charmingly while Guardian ignores her.

Snatching the mic back, he grins, "And for the sweetest women here, what do you have to say, sis?"

Tahylour mumbles into the mic, "Hurray for dango I guess." Anko grabs onto the mic and shouts, "Enjoy my dango or my snakes will eat you!" Guardian glares at her. She pauses and says sweetly, "I mean, dango is the best! Vote for dango!" She bows in Japanese fashion with Tahylour.

"And the completely unbiased judges of our contest who have so graciously volunteered for this is Lord Hokage Sarutobi, Teacher Iruka, and the famed interrogator Ibiki!" The judges stand in their formal clothing and bow to the wildly cheering crowd. Each of the judges has an apron with the kanji for "Judge" written on it on the off chance that the contest gets out of hand.

Guardian hops back up to his podium beside the contestants, "Now, the rules of this contest are simple. No throwing food at each other, no scarring or maiming other opponents or teammates, and you have an hour to make the best food ever! Are you ready, folks?" He lifts an arm to the crowd and their cheering doubles in volume. He looks to the judges. "And you?" They nod. He turns to the cooks. "It is decided than! Begin the cook-off!" Immediately, the adults get to work demanding food and the children rushing to get it. Elenial works with the dexterity and grace of an elf, mixing and stirring without getting a single drop out of the bowls. Tahylour on the other hand drops food often and apologizes while mixing and cooking things in their own elf-donated ovens. There are glowing runes on the sides of each of the miniature oven and stoves to power them. Naruto's shadow clones fill the stage and form food-passing lines from one location to the other while Gaara's sand keeps the flow of food moving in his area. Anko's snakes slither around and help to carry pots and pans to and fro.

In the front row of the contest nearest to the stage is the entire Ninja Chef Conglomerate who came to see the budding ninja chefs. They take notes and shout comments for all players on how to improve, whether it be keeping the sand out of the food or keeping the passing lines neater. Snakes slither from Anko's table and go around Tahylour and Gaara's. Tahylour shivers at the sight of them, freezing up on the spot. A small wave of sand and a cute little sand coffin allows the angelic woman to continue her work while Anko looks very worried for her snakes.

They finish without further ado and present their foods. Sarutobi announces that Gaara's pancakes, while delicious with syrup, could not stand on its own. The texture was too much like sand. Without the snakes, only two of the meals could be made, so Sarutobi went without the dango. Naruto has one vote. Iruka is too familiar with ramen to appreciate it fully and, again, the sandy pancakes cannot hold his attention. A vote for Anko. Ibiki enjoys the tough texture of his food and votes. A vote for Gaara. The tie-breaking vote comes from Kakashi, who was roped into service while walking home. The ramen is well prepared and healthy, but too salty. The dango is too sweet. The pancakes are new and unique with a batch strictly from the skills of the elven queen.

Guardian announces flamboyantly, "It has been decided. The winner of the Ninja Cook-Off Extraordinaire is Gaara of the Sand and Eleniel of the Elves with their delicious pancakes!" The crowd goes wild. The day is made a national holiday: Pancake Day.

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